With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?
by Saphire.rayne
Summary: Akari is new to Castanet and her first priority shouldn't be the boys. But three boys end up causing her trouble, particularly Luke. Will she overcome his devilish charm or fall for it? Will Chase treat her like the girl she's always wanted to be or will she let her self be spoiled by Gill? You'll just have to find out!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"What a beautiful day!" I stretch my arms out and plop down on some hay bales. About an hour ago I said goodbye to my mother and father and hitched a ride with a man in a green shirt.

"I agree. The sun is brightest at this time of day." The man starts rambling about how he owns a ranch back on Castanet and how his daughter, Renee, helps out. I close my eyes but it's hard to nap while my body is shaking as the cart bounces up and down as we travel down a dirt road.

"How much longer till we get there?" I ask curiously.

"We're nearing the Flute Fields as we speak." I sit up and look around. Lush green hills surround us. Fields of sunflowers and vegetables lay behind a fenced in area with a few houses nearby. "That's Marimba Farm. If you ever need seeds or veggies, that's the place to get them. Around the corner over there is Horn Ranch. That's where I work." I look around and take in all the scenery and homes.

"This is as far as I can go right now. My cart won't be able to get over that concrete bridge, but the town isn't too far from here. Just keep going down the path and you'll be there in no time," he points towards a concrete bridge.

"Thank you for the ride, um, sorry I forget your name." I smile apologetically. "Cain. Welcome to Castanet." He waves goodbye and I bow in thanks and head towards the bridge. A crossroad comes before me with a sign post pointing north and west. _Fugue Forest _and _Harmonica Town_ occupy the pieces of wooden arrows. I pull out my cell phone and check the time. I'm half an hour earlier than expected so I have some free time to explore. I adjust my rucksack and head north.

Shadows intensify as I near the forest. My heart starts pounding in excitement. I was never allowed inside the forest when I was younger. I stop in front of an old crooked gate just barely clinging to its hinges. I reach out to grab the handle, opening the gate with a loud creaking that scares off surrounding birds.

I take a step inside and the forest is darker than the previous area. I hold out my cell phone to give off some light so I don't trip over any obstacles. I venture farther into the forest avoiding any branches who would like to greet my face.

Something white catches my eye and I crouch near what seems to be snow white mushrooms. Even in the darkness they seem to glow bright. I stare at the mushrooms for a while before jumping suddenly as my pocket vibrates. A text flashes on my screen and I notice the time is 3pm. "Crap, I gotta get out of here…Where was the exit?"

I glance around frantically, looking for indication of where I came from. I decide to go backwards from where I spotted the mushroom in hope that I'll end up at the crooked gate. I look around everywhere I go just in case some monster jumps out or an evil wizard appears.

I trip over a root and fall flat on my face. "I can't be lost! I just got here!" I feel myself getting angry and scared. I pull my knees to my face and bury my face in them.

A stick snapping catches my attention and I stand upright quickly, looking around frantically. A shadowy figure steps out of the bushes and I swing my rucksack as hard as I can. I feel the impact of my rucksack hitting something solid and I freeze letting the bag fall to the ground.

"Ouch. What was that for?" The shadowy figure moves to the area where the rucksack hit and massages the newly formed bruise. By the figure's voice, I was sure it was a male. Something metallic shines in his hand and I can barely make out what it is.

"What are you going to do to me?" I frantically search my sweatshirt pockets for any form of protection.

"I was on my way out of here and heard someone crying," the figure leans over and grabs my rucksack. "What do you have in here? Bricks?" He begins to open my bag and I quickly grab it from him. He falls towards me as I pull tightly and catch him off guard.

Waves of blue dance in the sunlight that's peaking in from the leaves of the sheltering trees and two golden eyes are looking right at me, widened by my recent action. "Please don't go through my things," I say quickly.

"Sorry, just wanted to know what hit me." He lets go of my bag and stares at me as I adjust the bag onto my back. "Sorry if I scared you by the way."

"It's fine," I lie. "I should go." I turn around and walk towards a group of trees in hopes of finding the exit.

"You're going the wrong way," the boy casually jogs up to me and smiles. "I can show you the way out of here. It's the least I can do after scaring you," he smiles and I feel myself blushing. He was gorgeous. His white teeth sparkled even in the darkness of the forest and his eyes were as bright as the sun. I nod my head in hopes of shaking away unnecessary thoughts.

I follow the boy through a group of trees, occasionally tripping over fallen branches or rocks. Something familiar catches my eye and I happily run over to the gate that's barely hanging onto the surrounding fence. "I never thought I'd miss you so much," I say quietly patting the gate. I step outside and shield my eyes from the sunlight.

"Thank you," I say sweetly towards the boy. I see what he was holding in his hand. The smile fades from my face as I notice it's an axe. He sees my concerned look and quickly hides it behind his back.

"No problem. I was just in there chopping wood," he says while his other hand messes with his hair. "Why were you in there anyways?"

I try to think of a lie but come up empty. "I was on my way into town but I had a little time to spare so I thought I'd just take a small detour?" I shrug my shoulders realizing how lame that sounded.

"I guess you can't read either. The signs should have given you a good warning about how dangerous that place is. You're not very smart are you?" He smiles and punches my shoulder as he passes by and heads down the road.

I stand frozen in anger at being insulted. "Don't think I won't hit you in the face again!" I yell. He laughs and walks down the road with his axe resting on his shoulder. I pout as I follow suit and try to make my way into town.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Blue Brass Bar _is the name of the building before me. I pull out a piece of paper to double check. Sure enough this is the place. I take in a deep breath in hopes of getting out the nervous jitters before knocking on the door. I take a step closer to the bar but I get a strange feeling someone's watching me. I turn around to see a blonde haired boy in plaid pants and vest staring at me.

"You must be Akari. Kathy's told us a great deal about you. She forgot to mention one thing though," he smiles and walks towards me. His blue eyes reflect the ocean around us and his hair dances playfully in the breeze.

"What's that?" I ask curiously.

"She forgot to tell me how beautiful you are." He leans in and his fingers brush the side of my face and I take a step back. My cheeks quickly start burning and I frantically try to find something to say.

"Thanks," I mumble and he chuckles quietly.

"It's alright. My name's Gill. My father is the mayor of this little seaside town. I hope to see you again." He smiles before grabbing my hand and kissing it. I stand in confusion as he walks away whistling while his hands dig into his pockets.

The sound of a door opening catches my attention and I turn around to see a busty blonde standing in the doorway. "AKARI!" She squeals and pulls me into a tight hug. I wiggle around trying to escape so I can catch my breath. She lets go of me and starts bouncing up and down.

"I'm so excited you're here! I hope you didn't get lost. Come inside! Daddy's waiting for you," she grabs my arm and pulls me inside. A very tall man is standing behind the counter and I instantly recognize him. "Uncle Hayden!" I say happily and run over to give my uncle a big hug.

"Akari, you've grown up! I remember when you were just a little girl."

"She's not so little anymore," Kathy elbows me in the side and smiles. "Let me take your bags and show you to your room. I'm sure you're ready to unpack. I also have to fill you in on some things." She grabs my rucksack off my back and ushers me towards a door behind the counter. I follow her down a small hallway and into an empty room. A twin bed sits under a window with a dresser on the opposite wall.

"Sorry it's so empty. It's the guest room and we barely get any," she tosses the bag onto the bed and gestures for me to sit down. "So I'm sure you've heard you'll be working with us while you're here. I'll show you the ropes tonight. I'll have to introduce you to some people who are usuals here so you can get well acquainted with them. Oh yeah and a few people you might remember come here too. You remember Owen right?"

I rummage through my memories in hopes of remembering who Owen is. "Not really," I say honestly.

"Seriously? You always made him cry when you refused to let him play with us. Your dad would always get mad and yell at us for being mean," she waves her hand around as she laughs at the memory. "He's nothing like that now. I must say puberty did a really good job if you ask me."

I keep my comments to myself in hopes of not laughing. "What time does the bar open anyways?"

"An hour so you better start getting ready now. You'll have to meet Chase too. He's the chef on weekends and he makes amazing food," she heads towards the door and closes it leaving me to get ready.

The bar was ready to open in less than ten minutes. Kathy was checking over herself in a nearby mirror while I fidgeted with a piece of paper and pencil. I started doodling the blue haired boy from earlier. Something about him was mysterious and fascinating. I never did catch his name.

I crumple up the piece of paper and drop the pencil angrily on the counter. I turn to look at the peach haired chef casually washing some fruit in the sink. He eyes me questioningly as I continue crumpling the drawing. I decide to give him a stern look and he smiles, continuing to clean the fruit.

"Are you excited?" Kathy enters the kitchen and leaps onto the counter. She notices the paper in my hand and curiously reaches for it. I shove it into my pocket and nod my head. "Yeah. I don't see why I wouldn't be?"

"It'll be hard at first but you'll get the hang of it. By the end of Summer you'll be a drink serving pro." She winks before hopping off the counter and goes into the dining hall. She unlocks the door and waits patiently beside me. After waiting twenty minutes two young men come inside. The first one is extremely tall and muscles poke out from a tiny black shirt. The second boy I recognize instantly.

Kathy skips happily towards them and starts chatting away with the muscular boy. She waves me over to the table and I hesitantly make my way over. "Akari, this is Owen," she smiles towards Owen and he looks me over as if trying to remember.

"Wow, Akari, you look different than I remembered," he says. I feel myself blushing and my eyes shift over towards the other boy. His blue hair is poking out beneath his bandana and his foot is pressed against the table. He's leaning back in his chair rolling his eyes as Kathy and Owen chat loudly.

I decide to swallow my nervousness and take his order. "Hey, can I get you something to drink?" I place a smile on my face in hopes he'll forget about earlier.

"I didn't know you were going to work here," he says. "If so, I would have avoided this place."

I stare at him trying to keep myself in order. It's my first night and I will not beat up a customer. "I'm sorry that I'm an inconvenience for you, but if you do not wish to drink anything, I do believe there's a no loitering policy," I smile towards him and he chuckles.

"I don't drink unless on occasions and I'm in here every night because my best friend loves to drink. Sorry, Newbie, I'm not going anywhere," he smiles devilishly at me and I feel my cheeks burning with anger.

"Akari, I forgot to introduce you. That's Luke," she stands next to me, a smile still plastered on her face.

"We've met," Luke says looking rather bored.

She looks at me curiously and I whisper I'll tell her later. "Well since you're the only ones here, drinks on the house!" Kathy sings while grabbing my wrist and pulling me into the kitchen. She releases my wrist and turns to face me. "Don't tell anyone this, promise?" She says seriously.

"I promise."

"I like Owen," she mumbles.

"Oh? I would never have guessed," I say sarcastically. I hear a small laugh and see Chase covering his mouth. Kathy looks at me, her face twisted, "Is it that obvious?" She almost whines. I nod my head and she looks almost sad. "He probably knows," she crosses her arms over her chest and her lips pucker into a pout.

"I'm sure if he didn't like you back he wouldn't talk to you. Most likely avoid you if he had no interest," I say encouragingly.

"I hope so, but I'm surprised you didn't recognize Luke."

"I don't remember having anyone with that name as a friend when I was a child."

"Which is weird. I won't go into details. It's best you find out for yourself," she pats my shoulder and grabs the drinks for the boys. "I'll bring Owen his drink and you take the banana shake to Luke."

I'm tempted to put some hot sauce in his banana shake but think better of myself. He may be a jerk but I won't stoop to his level. I happily bring Luke his shake and set it down in front of him, waiting for him to take a drink. He eyes over his drink before slouching in his chair. "I don't want this one," he looks at me when he says this.

"What's wrong with it?" I ask confused.

"You always get the banana shake," Kathy says also confused.

"Something seems different about it today," he eyes it over one more time before pushing it towards me.

"What would you prefer then," I say through gritted teeth.

"What would you recommend?"

"Well I'm not familiar with the menu yet."

"Good then I'll have water." He has on an evil grin and I feel myself hating him more and more.

"Coming right up," I say. This time I don't think I can hold back the hot sauce.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Sorry about Luke. He's a handful." Kathy is scrubbing down a few tables while I'm furiously wiping down a table, so hard that I almost knock it over. "Be careful! If any of these breaks, Luke and his dad will most likely be the ones to fix it! I doubt you'd like to see him again."

"That was the smartest thing you've said!" I continue wiping down the table, a little more gently this time, but the events of tonight continue to bother me. Luke constantly bickered about the drinks until I refused to bring him anything else. Kathy tried asking him to be nicer since it was my first time but he insisted I learned the ropes quicker. He kept using the term Newbie when referring to me. Angrily, I toss the rag onto the table and let out a disgruntled breath of air.

"Why don't we go out for a walk? That usually calms me down." Kathy grabs my arm and ushers me outside. The smell of the ocean overwhelms me and I feel myself becoming calmer. The sun has set and the stars and moon are slowly making their way into the darkness above. Kathy continues walking down the pier and I follow behind her slowly.

"It's beautiful tonight," I say.

She smiles at me. "It's always beautiful here. That's why I'm so glad we live in this town. It may be small but it's worth it," she leans against the railing at the end of the walkway and I stand next to her. We stand quietly for a few minutes before another presence joins us.

"Good evening, ladies," the blond from earlier, Gill I think, is standing next to me, a smile planted on his perfect face. His bright blue eyes are almost a purple in the moonlight.

"Hey Gill," Kathy says in a friendly tone. Something about it put me on edge.

"How do you like our little seaside town so far, Akari?" He leans against the railing and I notice he doesn't have on his vest. His shirt is ruffled and the first three buttons are undone.

"It was going nicely until that no good Luke showed up," I mumble the last part but I think he still heard me.

"Luke? The carpenter? He's bad news," he says softly. "I'm sorry if he caused you any trouble."

I hear Kathy make a small snort but ignore it. "Yeah, I plan to keep a good distance from him."

"You can always hang out with me," Gill smiles and I notice his teeth are perfect and two dimples poke out of his cheeks.

"I don't think Akari will have time. She's still new to the bar so she'll be busy learning the rules and menus," Kathy elbows me in the side and I make a small noise. I look at her questioningly. Gill was gorgeous. I wouldn't mind hanging with him.

"That's too bad. Well if you ever get any free time, please don't hesitate to find me," he leans down and kisses my hand again followed by a wink before he walks away from us towards a small road leading uphill.

"You do not want to hang out with him," Kathy says when he's out of earshot.

"Why? He seems really nice. Not to mention he's really attractive," I feel myself smiling when I say the last part.

"It's better you don't find out why the hard way. Please promise me you won't be alone with him," she looks at me and her eyes show that she's worried.

"Okay. I won't hang out with him by myself," I promise.

"Good. Let's try to get some sleep."

I wake up feeling tired and groggy but I force myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I take a quick shower and get myself dressed for the day. I decide to wear jean shorts and a basic t-shirt. I notice Kathy's door is still closed so I assume she's still asleep. I step out into the dining hall and find it empty. I enter the kitchen to see Chase hard at work on something. The kitchen smells delicious.

"Good morning," I yawn. I walk past him and open the fridge. Vegetables and fruits of all varieties take up one shelf of the fridge. The rest are meats, different types of drinks, and various cases of whipped cream.

"Are you hungry?" Chase sneaks up behind me and I slam the fridge shut in surprise. "I am actually," I say quickly.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. I'll cook you something. Least I can do after last night. Kathy told me what happened," He smiles at me and I can't help getting lost in his eyes. They're a bright violet with specks of dark purple around the pupil. His peach hair was ruffled from sleep and pinned to the side of his head with bobby pins.

"That'd be great," I respond finally. He shakes his head before opening the fridge and grabbing some eggs and bacon. I sit on the counter and watch him. His hands steadily multitask as he prepares the stove for the eggs. He cracks two open perfectly without getting egg white all over the stove.

_Amazing_.

"What is?" He asks me. I realize I said it out loud. "The way you crack the eggs. I can never crack them that perfectly."

"It's pretty simple. I'll s how you," he holds out an egg and I grab it, brushing his warm, soft hands. I feel a tingle go up my arm but I shake it away. He holds out his egg and taps it on the edge of the frying pan and releases a perfect egg onto it. "Your turn," he says.

I lean against the stove and follow his example, only my egg shatters and egg shells fall into the pan. "I'm sorry," I wine. He quietly pulls out a fork and grabs the egg shells. "It's okay, it takes a while to get the hang of it," he grabs another egg and places it into my hand.

"You sure you want to try this again?" I ask honestly.

"I'll guide you this time." I feel his chest pressed against my back and his hand is placed over mine. He guides my hand over to the pan and softly taps the egg against the edge. A perfect split parts the egg and it falls onto the pan, sizzling with the others.

"You tapped it too hard. You have to be softer," he releases my hand and smiles. I feel my cheeks burning and realize I'm smiling like an idiot.

"Thank you," I finally manage to say.

"No problem. I'm happy to teach. If you want to learn how to cook anything, let me know," he smiles before tending to the eggs and bacon. His touch still lingers on my hand and I stagger out of the kitchen and lean against a nearby table. Moments later Chase joins me and sets a plate of warm eggs and smoking bacon on the table and some orange juice.

"Here is your breakfast," he waits for me to take a bite and I release a small sound of enjoyment.

"This is delicious!" I say rather loudly. Kathy walks into the room in her pajamas and notices my plate of hot food. "Breakfast? That smells really good!" She makes a puppy face towards Chase and he smiles. "I'll make you some too," he heads back into the kitchen and Kathy sits across from me at the table, stealing a piece of bacon.

"He makes the best breakfast. Any girl who marries him will be extremely lucky," she says with a mouthful of bacon.

I choke on my food and Kathy looks at me with horror. "Are you okay?" She stands up and starts slapping my back.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say while gasping in air. "It just went down the wrong pipe," I quickly add. Chase was adorable and really handsome. Not that I'm thinking of marrying him. I just met him, but I wouldn't mind eating like this every morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Luke hasn't been showing up to the bar lately and I'm extremely happy. I've gotten better at taking orders and bring the drinks on time without spilling any. I've become friendly with most of the townsfolk who come in regularly. I've met Calvin, an archeologist in the making, who always orders the fruity cocktails.

Occasionally the town's doctor, Jin, comes in every now and then for a cup of tea with his fiancé, Anissa.

Owen comes in every night, sometimes with his boss, Ramsey, and split drinks. Owen usually ends up drunk and Ramsey scolding him while continuing to drink. The two of them are funny to watch. Kathy ends up embarrassed whenever Owen is drunk. He once asked what her cup size was or if she preferred her men shaven. I've never seen someone turn so red. She looked like a tomato that was too ripe.

I've met with the nearby inn owners. Apparently their daughter Maya has a thing for Chase but he seems uninterested in her. I never thought I'd say that I was happy when he told me. We were in the kitchen preparing drinks and Maya walked in and started flirting with Chase, who didn't seem to return. She eventually left, but not before giving me a dirty look and Chase told me how he was her mentor in teaching her to cook. Eventually he quit because she never improved and he couldn't be with someone who couldn't cook simple things as toast without burning it.

The more I got to know people in this small town of Harmonica, the more I enjoyed it.

Work was over and I decided to help out by taking out the trash. I opened the back door and set the bag on the ground in a loud thump. "Want any help?"

A familiar voice surprised me and I look up to see Luke standing there. His hair is the first I notice. In the moonlight it shines almost silver and I've never seen something so beautiful. "Well?" He breaks me from my trance and I instantly revert to hate mode.

"I got it," I say proudly and reach for the bag which is extremely heavy and almost topple over. An arm is wrapped around me and I know its Luke's. His face is looking at me with a mix of humor and concern. I force him to release his grasp and try again. This time the bag is lighter and I see Luke's helping me.

We toss the bag into the dumpster and I look around thinking of something to say.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I said thank you," this time a little louder.

"Sorry, you're a little quiet. Speak up," I lean over and hit him in the shoulder before yelling thank you.

"You're welcome," he says attending to his shoulder. "What's with you and hitting me? This is the second time I've helped you and you repay me with physical violence."

"Well if you weren't such a jerk maybe I'd be nicer," I leave him standing outside and slam the back door shut and lock it. I lean against the door and sigh. Why did he have to be such a jerk? He was really cute and I can't help but still want to be around him despite his way of treating people. I ease off the door and walk down the hallway. A knock at the door surprises me and I turn to open it. "What do you want now," I say angrily but find Owen standing there.

"Akari!" Kathy rushes down the hallway and take the door from my hand. "I'll handle it from here," she says eagerly and I can tell she's up to something. I give her a curious look but walk away. I hide behind the corner and wait till the door is closed. I sneak back down towards the door and lean against it.

I can barely make out what they are saying but I can tell it's interesting.

"….Date…. Kathy… Love.." I can make out a few words as Owen's deep voice shakes the door. Kathy's voice is quiet but I can tell she's talking. Silence lingers for a while and I think they've left. I open the door slowly but they weren't gone. Owen's hands are cupping Kathy's face while her body is limply pressed against his. He's leaning down and kissing her, his tall body almost hunched over. She's standing on her tip toes. I close the door quietly thankful they didn't see me. I bite my lip smiling but almost feel jealous.

I've never been kissed by a boy, let alone really near one in a loving manner. I quietly stalk to my room and plop on my bed. I close my eyes in hopes of falling asleep. Visions of tonight appear on my eyelids. Kathy pressed against Owen and his hands cupping her as he kisses her passionately. The two pull away but I notice that they're no longer Kathy or Owen. Locks of blue hair flow in the wind and my brown hair is pulled up into a ponytail. Luke is smiling at me with his devilish grin while horns start to sprout from his forehead.

I sit up and wipe the sweat from my face, my chest breathing heavily, "What a horrible dream."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I spent last night tossing and turning while Luke infested my dreams. I couldn't shake him out of my mind. Luckily I had tonight off and I was going to take advantage of it. I wobble out of bed and head into the kitchen in hopes of finding some aspirin. I take a few pills and finish them down with a bottle of water. My head was pounding.

I collapse in a chair at one of the empty tables and bury my face in my arms. "Rough night," I hear Chase's voice and slowly lift my head to find him standing behind a nearby chair.

"You could say that," I place my head back on my arms forcing myself to face him.

"I can make you a cup of coffee or maybe some hot cocoa if you'd like? The caffeine should help you."

"Cocoa sounds good," I say quietly. The sound of my voice makes the headache worse.

Chase leaves the room and I close my eyes only to be woken up by a growling lion with blue hair. "Why can't you stay out of my mind!" I slam my fists against the table, only to realize I'm being watched.

"Woah, what's got you so worked up?" Chase sets the cup of hot cocoa on the table and takes a seat in the empty chair next to me.

"I can't get that no good Luke out of my head. He's like a parasite, draining my sleep," I make a fist and grit my teeth. Chase chuckles a bit before taking a sip of his cup of coffee.

"Luke gets on everybody's nerves. Eventually you get used to it. Don't let it get to you. It's what he wants."

"Easy for you to say; he didn't call you stupid and forced you to bring him every drink in the whole town," I blow into my hot cocoa trying to cool it off.

"You just got a minor helping of what he can do. He called me a queer the first day he met me."

"He said that to you?" I ask surprised.

Chase takes a sip of his coffee and the silence tells me the answer. "What a jerk. Did you at least punch him?"

"I accidently spilt hot coffee all over him. There was an invisible obstacle in my way that night," he winks at me before place his coffee onto the table.

"Well at least he got what he deserved."

We find a new subject to talk about and I find myself enjoying my time with Chase. He's sarcastic but in a good way. He knows how to make someone laugh and his cocoa was the best. Kathy and my uncle eventually join us and we start discussing about our night off tonight. Chase came in early to practice some recipes he's inventing and asks if I'd like to try them out once they're finished. Not hesitating to try out some delicious food, I happily accept his invitation.

I decide to take a free stroll around the town as I wait for Chase's experimenting to be over. I watch a few seagulls flock around the lighthouse and the fishermen load up their ships for the afternoon cache. I follow the road I came into town on and notice an abandoned house in the middle of a small field. I decide to check it out.

The door is unlocked and I peak inside to make sure no one's living inside. Sure enough it's empty except for a dust table and moldy mattress. The smell of rot and hay fill my nose and I pull my shirt up to cover it. I take a step inside and look around. Broken picture frames decorate one wall where the wallpaper is slowly peeling off. Spiders have made homes in the nook and crannies of the decrepit old house.

I take a few more steps inside before I hear the noise of wood snapping. I turn around quickly looking around for any sign of human life but no one's around. Enough light is peaking in from a rotted hole in the roof that allows me to see. I hear the sound again before I realize the house is slowly falling in on itself. A piece of plywood falls next to me and I eagerly make my way towards the door but a long piece of wood falls in front of me and I scream in surprise. I try kicking it out of the way in hopes of squeezing out of the doorframe but the wood won't budge.

I start calling out for help just in case someone passing by will hear me. A few minutes go by and a few more piece of wood collapse but luckily on the other side of the house. I continue yelling but no one's showing up. I try picking up the piece of wood but instead of making a way out, I've caused the wood to dislodge a few boards that it was holding up. I jump aside quickly but my leg gets caught under a heavy piece of wood.

I close my eyes as the pressure sends pain through my leg and I can hardly tell if I'm screaming or if I'm imagining it.

The pain suddenly lightens up and I feel like my leg is free. I slowly move it and sure enough I'm able to move it around. I open my eyes to see an arm lifting me up and carrying me outside. I see the roof of the house collapse and gasp as dust flies up everywhere.

"Are you trying to get killed?" a familiar voice says. I turn to look at my savior only to find myself getting angry.

"No, I was just exploring," I cross my arms as he continues carrying me and sets me down onto a broken tree stump.

"Just like you were exploring in the forest and happened to get lost? You really are stupid," Luke starts lifting up my pant leg and looks at the area where the log fell. "Looks swollen," he gently presses his hand against the newly forming bruise and I cringe as a horrible stinging sensation shoots up my leg.

"Ouch!" I blurt out and shake my leg hoping to get him off.

"We need to see a doctor. This looks serious," he scoops me up into his arms again and I try resisting but fail. He tightens his grip as I wiggle around. We near the town and I feel him slow down his pace as we get closer to the clinic. He has trouble opening the door but he manages without dropping me. Irene looks at is in surprise and I give her an apologetic smile.

"What happened?" She runs over to me and notices the huge bruise on my leg. "Oh dear."

"I caught her in the abandoned house and the roof collapsed but luckily I got her out in time before it crushed her," Luke doesn't look me as he says this and I can hear no anger in his voice.

"Let's have the doctor look at her." Irene ushers us into a nearby room where Jin is steadily looking over some paperwork. "Sorry to interrupt you Dr, but it seems we have an emergency," Irene bows to Jin and leaves the room.

"What happened?" Jin asks and Luke fills him in. "You should be more careful, Akari, you could have broken your leg or worse. If Luke wasn't there, well, let's not think about that," he says and grabs an ice pack from a nearby freezer and hands it to me. Luke sets me down on the patient chair and leans against the wall.

Jin examines my leg and confirms it's just some bruising and nothing's broken or sprained. I thank him happily and Luke helps me out of the door. "Luke, thank you."

"You're welcome. You owe me twice now for saving your life. I'll let you know what I intend for you to do when I think of something," he winks at me and all sincerity leaves my body. He leaves me outside of the bar as he walks away quickly before I can say anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"What happened?" Kathy practically drops her drink as she sees me limp into the bar. "I might have been exploring in a place I shouldn't have," I say. She looks horrified and helps me find a spot to sit down. "Exactly where did you go?"

"The abandoned house east of here," I wince expecting her to yell at me. Instead she asks Chase to bring me a glass of water and some ice for my leg. She's rather taking this better than I thought.

"How did you manage to get out?" She presses the ice onto my leg and I wince as the coldness stings.

"Well, Luke was passing by and found me before the roof collapsed." This sets her off.

"The roof was collapsing!? Are you out of your mind!? You could have been killed! You're so lucky he was there!" She presses the ice harder and I cry out. "That's really cold!"

"Good! Maybe it'll teach you to stay out of places you shouldn't go!" She gives me an angry look and Chase smiles apologetically towards me. "I'll make you some soup," he leaves the kitchen and I think he used that as an excuse to avoid an angry Kathy.

"I guess this means you won't be able to work tomorrow. You're lucky you have tonight off." She eases up on the pressure from the ice.

"You should probably go lie down and rest. I'll have Chase bring you the soup when he's done," she helps me stand up and escorts me into my room. I lay down on my bed and she leaves me alone in the room. I decide I should take off my pants to make it easier to press the ice against my leg as I lay down. I press my uninjured foot against the floor and unbutton my jeans.

I slowly inch them off of my injured leg, the pain being only minimal due to the numbness brought on by the ice pack. "Akari, I brought-" Chase opens the door and looks stunned to see me tossing my pants onto the floor.

"Chase!" I squeak and grab my pillow to cover up my panties. "Ever heard of knocking!" I feel my voice getting higher with every word. My face is burning and his is bright red. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were changing." He closes his eyes as he brings me a tray with a bowl of soup on it and places it on top of my dresser.

"I'll lace, I mean leave you alone," he slams the door shut and I realize I've been holding my breath. I start laughing silently before letting out a loud snort. "Lace?" I giggle loudly and notice that my panties do have lace on them. I guess he did get a good look.

My night off was spent with me sleeping the whole night and the next day after taking some pain pills Jin brought over. I was able to skip work last night and ended up sleeping through it anyways. Today however the swelling on my leg has gone down tremendously and I'm able to walk around. Kathy believes I'm well enough to work and here I am. I've been taking my time bringing out drinks just in case my leg starts to ache.

Luke and Owen came in and Luke, for the first time, looked like he cared about me. He asked me how my leg was feeling and why I wasn't in bed resting. I assured him I was feeling better and he looked relieved. Kathy suggested I bring him a free drink in honor of him saving me. I've never seen him so flustered by praises. A bunch of people thanked him and he looked almost shocked at the kind words.

"Akari! Akari I heard the news," Gill scrambles into the bar and he's carrying a bouquet of roses. "I heard you were hurt," he looks at my leg, which is wrapped up in cloth, and makes a worried face. "If anything happened to you I would be horrified." He realizes he has flowers and hands them to me.

"Please take these. They're to help you recover," he smiles as I sniff the sweet smell of the roses.

"Wow, Gill. I don't know what to say," I reply with all honesty.

"Don't, instead, I'd like to treat you to dinner tomorrow night. His blue eyes stare into mine and I hear a few of the customers tell me to say yes. I look around at Kathy and she gives me a stern look. Owen looks amused and Luke shows no sign of emotion.

"Gill, I'd like to-"

He cuts me off before I can add but. "Good! I'll be here around four so be sure to be ready. I'll be ready to assist you if your leg starts to her. I'd offer to carry you but I don't want to get my vest wrinkled. I'm glad you're okay," he pulls me in for a hug but stops short. "I don't want to crush the roses. Anyways, don't get injured again. See you tomorrow." He holds my hand and kisses it gently before leaving the bar.

I look at the customers who quickly return to their conversations and Kathy pulls me aside. "What are you doing? I told you to stay away from him!"

"I was going to say but, but he cut me off! Maybe we can have dinner here?" I say jokingly.

"Chase can cook for you guys!" She smiles at my joke and I see she's seriously taking it into consideration.

"We haven't even asked him yet."

"He'll agree to it. I'll make sure of it," she lets go of my arm and heads into the kitchen. I stand there awkwardly sniffing the roses again. I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn to see Luke.

"Have fun tomorrow, Newbie," he says and pulls out one of my roses and snaps the bud off and places it in my hair. He winks at me and turns around to leave the bar along with Owen. I pull the bud out of my hair and sniff it. The smell of this rose was much sweeter than the rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It's almost seven and Gill's almost here. He's agreed to have dinner here and I'm nervous. I've never been on a date before. Kathy curled my hair and let me borrow some of her formal clothes. I'm wearing a light blue dress that shows off my shoulders and my cleavage.

"Do you have anything that isn't so revealing?" I ask a little insecure.

"You don't want to look prude. Besides, he's not getting anything so why not flaunt it while you got it?" She pulls back a lock of my hair as she curls it. I pull the dress up trying to hide as much of my boobs as possible but the dress it too tight and won't budge.

A knock on my door startles me and Kathy burns the back of my neck with the curling iron. "Dammit Akari." I press my hand against my neck and the skin is hot. "I'll go get a cold rag, don't move!" She opens the door and Chase walks in looking confused as Kathy bursts out of the room.

"Wow, you look beautiful," he says while his eyes hover over my breasts.

"Yeah, too bad my face is up here," I say and he looks up at me with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Can I ask you something?" He sits on the edge of the bed and I attempt to but the dress doesn't allow me to sit down, mostly just hovering.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Do you like Gill?" He fidgets with his thumbs like he's nervous.

"No, why?"

"Just wondering. Don't worry about it. I should get back into the kitchen," he stands up and leaves the room without saying anything else. I don't have time to think about it as Kathy runs into the room and presses the rag to my neck and ushers me out of the room and into the dining hall. Gill is standing at the doorway in a fancy suit and a small box in his hand. I feel myself blushing as I take in his handsome features.

His hair is combed to the side and his blue eyes are sparkling. His face is round, almost like a baby's. He notices me and smiles. "You look beautiful, Akari. I'm lucky to be the one to spend a night with you," he holds my hand and kisses it, but this time his lips linger a little longer.

"Thank you," I say as he leads me to a table and pulls out a chair. I try to sit down, forcing the dress to stretch allowing me to sit firmly on the chair. Gill takes his seat across from me and Kathy lights a small candle in the middle of the table. "I hope you enjoy your meal," she says and Chase brings out two plates with small steaks and a baked potato on the side. The smell makes my mouth water and I don't hesitate to start eating.

Gill starts talking about his father and how he's the next in line to become the mayor of Harmonica Town. I drown him out as I dig into my steak and potato. The meal was over too quickly and Chase brings us out vanilla ice cream with warm chocolate cake. He gives me a bigger piece and I smile as I taste the sweet sensation of chocolate as it dances around in my mouth. Gill gives me a weird look.

"What?" I ask while stuffing my face with cake.

"You made a funny noise. It's cute," he takes a bite of his cake and smiles. "This is really good."

"Isn't it?" I take another bite, finishing off the cake and lean back in the chair. "Dinner was amazing," I say to no one in particular.

"It was, but I know what will make tonight even more amazing," Gill stands up from his chair and grabs my hand. He helps me out of the chair and escorts me out of the bar. He holds my hand as we walk down the cement road in front of the shops and leads me up a hill towards a church. He stops next to a bench and makes a hand motion for me to sit down first. He sits down beside me and I notice what he was referring to. The sun is slowly making its way towards the ocean for its night of slumber and the view is breathtaking.

He continues to hold my hand and I feel him place something inside it. I look to find the small box he was holding and he tells me to open it. Inside is a silver necklace with a blue gem in the middle. "It's so beautiful! Is this for me?" I ask amazing. The blue stone is my birthstone, aquamarine, and I can't believe he knows.

"I did a bit of research and found out your birthstone. I asked the jeweler to make this necklace for you last night. Try it on." He helps me hook the necklace and it rests just barely above my breasts. Now it gives an excuse for people to look at my chest.

"Thank you so much, Gill," I say and lean in to kiss his cheek. He smiles and tightens his grip on my hand and I smile in return. "I had fun tonight."

"Me too. There's plenty more where that came from if you'd be my girlfriend," he looks at me with his light blue eyes and I feel guilt in my stomach. He really was a nice guy but I didn't have any feelings of attraction towards him other than for his looks.

"I'm sorry, Gill, but I'm not ready to commit yet. I've been here barely two weeks. I need to get situated here first before I can make any big decisions. Please understand." Kathy's words echo through my head._ Please promise me you won't be alone with him. I don't want you to find out the hard way. _

Gill looks a little upset but he recovers quickly. "I understand, I'll be waiting for you to be ready," he says and walks me back to the bar. "I had a good time tonight, thank you for spending it with me," he says and kisses my hand before heading back towards the other side of town. I touch the necklace and smile. I feel almost guilty taking jewelry from someone I don't plan on dating for now.

I open the door to the bar and Kathy greets me with a lecture. "Didn't I tell you not to go off alone with him! Did he do anything to you?" She looks me over and I stand there confused.

"No, we just watched the sunset. He gave me this though," I point out the necklace and Kathy's eyes grow wide. "Wow that's beautiful!"

"He asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend also," I add and her face grows blank.

"You didn't say yes, did you?"

"No, I told him I wasn't ready to commit to a relationship."

"Good, don't commit to him at all. Period. I don't want you around him unless Chase, my dad, or I am there. Understand?"

"I don't understand what's so bad about him?" I say. I really don't.

"Just, don't please," she looks at me and I give her my word. She walks away and I decide to go lay down in my room.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Every now and then Gill will show up and bring me gifts like no tomorrow. He's brought me chocolates, roses, lilies, tulips, more jewelry and even some dresses. Kathy and I split the chocolates and she begged me for some of the jewelry.

She didn't seem to mind Gill's gifts that much but I felt he was trying to buy my affection. Even Chase thinks so. Chase has become one of my best friends since I've been here. Most mornings he's hard at work on a new recipe and I watch him. Something about the way he chops the veggies or the way his arms move as he stirs contents in a bowl gives me chills.

Today he's asked me to make cookies with him. Our bar is going to have a booth for the Summer festival and we're making tons of goodies to put on display. Our idea is making beach ball and fish shaped sugar cookies.

I've learned to crack the egg better and this time I didn't get any shells into the mixture. Chase is working on his own bowl of dough and I'm slowly catching up. I plop the dough onto the cutting board flour flies everywhere. I blow wipe the flour from my face but realize I'm making more of a mess than intended.

"Should I take over? Maybe you should go clean up," Chase is hiding back a smile and I must look ridiculous.

"No, I want to finish what I started." I start rolling out the dough until it is flat and grab the cookie cutters. One by one I start cutting out the shapes and placing them onto the pan. Chase has finished up his and places it into the oven. I do the same.

He's cleaning up the leftover cookie dough and I feel an urge to eat mine. I decide to play a joke and smear a bit onto his face. He looks at me in surprise and wipes a bit onto my face. I grab a big glob of dough and wipe it down his apron.

"Aw, this was my favorite one," he wines and runs over to the sink and grabs a rag to clean up.

"You're no fun," I lean against the counter and pretend to pout, eating a few pieces of rolled up cookie dough.

"How does it taste?" He asks me and I hold scoop up dough and lick my finger. "Good," I say.

"I should try some," he says and reaches for my hand. "Chase?" I say but he doesn't let go of my hand. Instead he places my finger into his mouth and sucks off the leftover dough.

"That is good," he says and smiles. I stare at him, not sure to be turned on or weirded out.

"Is it?"

"I think I might taste it again." He leans closer to me and I stand still, afraid if I move I'll insult him. He pulls me close to him and presses his lips to my cheek. I feel his tongue lick off the flour and dough on my face and I can feel shivers going down my spine.

He licks his lips and I can't help but want to taste them. He's still holding me and I can't control my body as it leans closer to him.

"What's going on in here?" Kathy storms into the kitchen and looks horrified at the mess of flower and cookie dough. "It's a mess! Clean it up." Chase obediently starts cleaning up the kitchen and I feel a little disappointed the moment was ruined. Was he about to kiss me? Would he? Or was he just teasing me? So many questions that are unanswered.

"You should go wash up, I can handle this," Chase says but all traces of teasing are gone.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's not that much of a mess." He smiles at me and I feel bad leaving him behind but I could really use a shower.

I walk into my room drying off my hair and notice the rose Luke broke is starting to wilt. I rush over and look at it, letting the towel fall to the floor. The tips are turning a dark red and I feel a little sad. The other roses are sitting in a vase on my dresser and so far none are wilting. I take a sniff of the rose to remember how sweet it smells.

I place it down on my dresser and lay down on my bed. I haven't talked to my family in a while so I decide to call and check in. I feel a small leap in my chest as my mother answers the phone.

"Akari? I'm so glad you called. I was so worried about you," she sounds like she's exhausted.

"Hey, Mom, how's everything at home?"

"It's crazy. Your sister was caught sneaking out last night and your father grounded her. She refuses to leave her room," she sighs into the phone and I feel a little guilty.

"I'm sure she'll come out. She can't stay in there forever."

"Enough about home, how have you been? Make any new friends or met any old ones?"

I think about what I should tell her. I think I'll leave out the part with the abandoned house. "Good, so far. I was asked out on a date by the mayor's son and I've become good friends with the chef here at the bar. I met Owen who is now dating Kathy."

"Did you ever see that boy, oh what was his name, the one who always picked on you? You two would always fight with each other."

I rack my brain for any memory of this but come up short. "I don't remember anyone like that."

I hear my mother talk to my father and she returns to the phone. "He was the carpenter's son. Luke was his name. He always would throw worms or dirt at you and you'd always come back dirty. Does he still live there?"

My jaw drops and I start to slowly remember screaming and crying at a small blue haired boy who would laugh and throw things at me. "He hasn't changed one bit," I mumble into the phone. "What was that, honey?" My mom asks but I assure it was nothing.

"I should get going. I'm glad to hear you're doing well," my mother says goodbye and I hang up the phone. I feel a little homesick but it's instantly gone as soon as I think about Luke.

My door opens up and Kathy peaks in to ask if I could take out the trash before work starts. I put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt and head into the kitchen. Chase is nowhere to be seen and the cookies are still in the oven. I grab the trash bag and head into the back.

Thankfully it's not as heavy. I toss it into the dumpster and rub my hands on my pants. I hear a snicker behind me and turn to find Luke covering a smiling face.

"Nice outfit," he says between laughs.

"Thanks," I say with bitterness. "It's my 'I just took a shower' outfit."

"I see. I noticed you kind of smelled but didn't want to say anything."

"Why are you such a huge jerk," I feel myself starting to get angry and I know it's just what he wants.

"I'm just being honest," he smiles and I want to slap that smile off his face.

"That's not honesty, that's being rude!"

"If that's how you take it, sure."

"I know who you are."

"Good, I'm glad you know who I am. I was worried you weren't smart enough to know."

"You used to always throw things at me and pushed me into the pond and laughed. You were horrible to me. I see nothing has changed," I spit out the last part like venom.

"About time you remember me, but you're forgetting something," he takes a step closer to me and I feel my heart leap in my chest. "What did I leave out?" I take a step back until I'm pressed against the wall. Luke is so close to me I can see the veins in his neck poking out. His arm is pressed against the wall above me and I press my hands against his chest. I feel his muscles twitch as he adjusts his position over me and I try to force him away.

"I didn't want to say this right away," he says, leaning towards me, his mouth close to mine. His breath is hot on my face and I close my eyes, waiting for him to do something. "Your shirt's inside out."

I open my eyes and he's smiling down at me. I look at my shirt and notice it is inside out. Embarrassed, I push him away and make my way to the door. "I hate you," I mutter before opening the door and slamming it shut behind me.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I flail around in my bed, unable to think straight. Luke bothered to show up to work and constantly pestered me about how well I put my shirt on. I was so close to spilling a drink on him. Kathy was busy all night chatting away with her new boy toy. The two of them have been inseparable and I think Luke's bored being third wheel because he uses his boredom to pick on me.

I slam my fist into my pillow and toss it across the room. I need to calm down. I grab my jacket and sneak out the back door. The moonlight is extremely bright so I have no problem seeing my way through the town this late. My phone says it's roughly past eleven and I keep on my toes in case some weirdo shows up.

I make my way towards the beach and sit down on the sand. The breeze is chilly but I take in the cold air and try to calm myself. My method works out like a charm and I feel my body loosening up and my mind going from crazy to calm in seconds. The air is freezing and I huddle my arms around me.

After handling so much of the cold breeze, I make my way back to the Inn. A dark figure stands next to the door, their head tilted down so I can't make out who it is. I contemplate going in from the front or confront the figure. I don't have a chance to make up my mind because the figure realizes he's been spotted and walks over towards me. I look for the closest object to use as a weapon and I come up empty handed.

As the figure gets closer, my body surprises me when it kicks the figure in the groin. The figure collapses with moans of pain and I stand motionless and shocked by my courageous actions. "Who are you?" I can hardly hear the fear in my voice as my lips quiver from the cold air.

The figure is laying facedown with his hands tending to the wounded area. I kick the figure over and see Luke's unhappy face looking up at me. "Luke? What the hell!?" I step back and he manages to prop himself up but not yet standing.

"Who knew you had a good aim," he stumbles as he stands up but he doesn't seem to be in horrible pain anymore. I lower my voice to a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," he smiles devilishly and I don't stop my leg from flying towards him. He expects it this time and grabs it, tipping me backwards and catching me in his free arm. "Let me go!" I say loudly.

"Quiet, you moron. Do you want to wake up the whole town? I was kidding." He lets go of my leg and I push him away from me.

"Stay away from me."

"Akari, don't be like that, I was just joking around."

"I don't care. I'm sick and tired of you always showing up at the most unexpected places and pick on me. You even treat me like crap at my own job. You're a horrible person and I hate you!" I run over and push him farther away and storm to the back door. I feel a grip on my wrist but refuse to look at him.

"Don't you want to know why I'm here?" All hints of teasing are gone from his voice. "No!" I pull my wrist free and open the door and lock it behind me. I feel my body shaking with anger. I wait a few minutes before opening the door and thankfully he's gone. I rest easily against the door in relief. A small part of me is a little saddened that I might not see Luke again. It quickly goes away once I replay what happened tonight. Kathy appears in the hallway in a towel with a concerned look. "What's going on? I heard slamming so I rushed out of the shower."

"Nothing. I just thought I saw something scary in the shadows." I smile but she doesn't look amused.

"Okay then," she looks at me funny but heads into her room. I try to look on the Brightside of things. No Luke means no more stress, no more bad dreams, and even no more violence to my pillow. I feel mentally exhausted and I'm thankful when I fall asleep.


End file.
